Vienna, 02/02/2017
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) urged Turkish authorities to react and immediately release all journalists arrested since the failed coup attempt on July 15 on accusations of spreading propaganda and participation in the overthrow.
The number of arrest warrants issued has risen to 47, and SEEMO members were shocked to learn today that the SEEMO 2013 Human Rights award winner Bülent Mumay was detained by authorities.
‘We call on authorities in the country to release our colleagues. The news that SEEMO award winner Bulent Mumay was arrested came as a grave shock to all our members. Hopefully our pleas and those of the international community will help our attempts to free all journalists in Turkey’, said SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.